Students from the Sydney College of the Arts (SCA) began occupying the campus's administration building on August 22. Resistance members have been involved in the occupation and the campaign leading up to it.
Bronte Nicole Scott, Resistance member and a future SCA student, explained why she is part of the occupation to save SCA in a August 22 Facebook post.
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Right now I am occupying the office of the Sydney College of the Arts (SCA) administration because it is absolutely criminal that the arts are always the first up on the chopping block.
This action comes after the University of Sydney proposed, on August 9, staff cuts of up to 60%, closure of the Ceramics, Jewellery and Glass studios, and the loss of the Rozelle–Kirkbride campus at Callan Park in Rozelle.
Students announced at our rally on August 17 that if Vice-Chancellor Michael Spence and Dr Rhodes failed to meet students' demands by the end of the week, the campaign would escalate.
I have experienced these sorts of attacks throughout my entire education as an arts student.
My studies have always been precarious and uncertain because my field is consistently undervalued by a system that wants to build a mechanical workforce, not a creative community.
I'm part of this occupation now because this is what I wish I had done when my course was pulled out from underneath me in Cairns.
My teachers with 30+ years of experience lost their jobs and we — the students — lost our education.
I moved to Sydney to take up study at the Sydney College of the Arts which has now come under attack from the Sydney University VC and administration which wants to defund and dissolve the school.
Bullshit!
I refuse to let that happen again. I will fight for my right to my education. SCA is here to stay.
We are demanding that the University:
1. Immediately removes the Dean of the SCA, Colin Rhodes, and replace him with a team fully representative of the staff of SCA;
2. Guarantees that there will be no cuts to jobs, studios or courses;
3. Guarantees that SCA will not be moved from Kirkbride;
4. Reinstates the Bachelor of Visual Arts for 2017; and
5. Guarantees a proper and transparent independent review of its financial and constitutional status.
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